Tray-stacker.



I G. D. PARKER.

TRAY STACKER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2. 1918.

1,292,635. Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESS: INV

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G. n. PARKER.-

TRAY STACKER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2. ma.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VENTO R.

ATTORNEYS.

STATES OFFICE.

TBAY-STACKEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 28, 1919.

Application flied October 2, 1918. Serial No. 258,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoner: D. PARKER, a

livery of a receptacle thereto and which is adapted to be tri ped by the position of the receptacle, the e evating means on its return movement tripping the receptacle feed member whereby successive receptacles to be elevated are delivered to the elevating member in timed relation.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the. claims may be resorted to without de arting from the spirit or sacrificing any 0 the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 1s a view in side elevation partly in section of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in top plan.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view in de tail of one of the single revolution clutches.

Fig. 4 is a view in detail taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, illustrating an end view of one of the clutches.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates suitable vertical y disposed stacking mem bers arranged in rectangular formation, the upper ends of which are adapted to extend to any suitable point, preferably above the floor line of the floor above, and the lower ends thereof are supported in any suitable manner. Mounted to' 'reci rocate between suitable guides2, preferab y four in number, disposed beneath the stacking frame,

is a receptacle elevating plunger-head, table or platform 3, of an area slightly less than the cross-sectional area of the stacking frame and de ending from brackets carried by the underside of the same are the pivoted links 4 secured at their lower ends to the respective cranks 5 carried on the opposite ends of a suitable shaft 6 rotatable in bearings 7 carried by the supporting member 8. Mounted to rotate about the shaft 6, is a driven gear 9, the hub of which is formed with an overhanging flange 10, which is provided on its interior with recesses 11. Within the flange 10 is disposed a suitable clutch gear 9 rotate in unison in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4. Fulerumed as at 17 is a bellcrank 19, one member of which has a beveled edge19 adapted for movement into the path of rotation of the clutch dog 15, the bevel being in a direction whereby the rotation of the shaft 6 will cause a gradual movement of the clutch dog in engagement therewith, said beveled edge forcing the dog inwardly and releasing the same from its engaged recess 11 thereby disengaging the member 12 from the gear 9 and permitting the shaft 6 to remain stationary until such time as'the bell-crank is moved on its fulcrum to permit the seating of the clutch-dog in one of the recesses 11. The opposite member of the bell-crank is pivotally connected as at 20, to one end of a controlling rod 21 attached at its upper end as at 22 to an arm 23 of another bell-crank 24: positioned between certain of the frame members 1 and having its other arm 25 downwardly disposed and lying adjacent the plunger-head 3 when the same is in its lowermost position. The gear 9 is driven in the direction of the arrow by a drive pinion 9' carried by a shaft 9 operated from any suitable source of ower.

Disposed at the opposite side 0. the receptacle stacking frame from the bell-crank 24 are the horizontal, parallel spaced, receptacle supporting members 26 terminating at a point adjacent the member 3 when in its tilt lowest position, and at their opposite ends lying adjacent one end of a continuously operated receptacle conveyer belt 27 driven in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and operating at one end about a drum 28. An intermittently operated receptacle conveyor adapted for delivering the receptacles to be stacked in timed relation from the conveyer 27 to the member 3 is disposed between said conveyer 27 and member 3 and the same comprises the endless flexible members 29 operating on sprockets 30, carried by shafts 30' and positioned one adjacent the opposite end of each of the members 26, as in Fig. 2 of the drawings, said flexible members being connected at suitable spaced points by transverse rods or conveying bars 31 adapted on the movement of the members '29 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2 to move over and longitudinally of the members 26 in a direction toward the member 3.

The shafts 30 are rotatably mounted in bearings 32 carried by suitable supports 33 and on the end of one of the shafts30 is mounted a driving gear 34 and clutch mechanism of the type illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the parts being identical in every respect with the exception of the operated connection for the throw-out for the clutch dog, said gear 34 being driven by a power pinion 35 which operates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. The operation of the clutch-dog 15 to cause an intermittent operation of the conveying bar 31 at such timeas the table or platform 3 is in its lowermost position is accomplished in the following manner: A plate 36 having a beveled undersurface 37 is carried by a rod 38 and is disposed at right angles above the shaft 30 on which the gear 34 is mounted, said plate being adapted to swing into and out of the path of movement of its coiiperating clutchdofg 15 and to accomplish this, the rod 38 is fu crumed in a bearing 39. The rod 38 is bent inwardly and downwardly to lie as at 40, beneath and within the path of movement of the table or platform 3 when the same is in its lowermost position and at a point in line with the supporting members 26. It will be apparent that the table or platform 3 reaching its lowermost point of movement will depress the rod 38 against the tension of its elevating spring-41 and will disengage the plate 36 from its coiiperati g glutch dog 15 which will permit of theop'eratjon of the chains by power applied from the pinion 35 until the positioned tray A is moved longitudinally of the members 26 onto the platform or table 3 by the bar 31, at which time the clutch is disconnected in a hereinafter described manner.

Associated with the stacking frame members 1 are the elevated tray engaging and retalning dogs 42 pivotally mounted as at 43, and said stacking frame members 1, oppoaeaesa site said dogs, are each provided with a stop a or recess 44in which is adapted to be re.- ceived one end of the lowermost tray of the stack of trays, said notches or stops and dogs 42 retaining the trays in their raised position after being successively elevated by the table or platform during the reciprocation thereof. 7

Power being applied to operate the pinions 9- and35 to drive their respective gears 9 and 34 in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 1 and trays to be stacked being delivered to the feed belt 27 the present device operates in the following manner: The foremost tray on the belt 27 is maintained by' said continuously operated belt with its forward end resting on the members 26 in contact with the rear face of the bar 31, the belt 27 slipping beneath the tray thus held. The platform or table 3 in the position as in Flg. 1 causes a disengagement of the plate 36 from the clutch-dog 15 of the gear 34, permitting the operation of the chains 29 which in their. movement in the direction of the arrow 21 cause the movement of the bar 31 in advance of the positioned tray and permitting the belt 27 to advance the trayon the members 26 at which time another bar. 31 engages the rear end of the tray'as in Fig. 1 and further advances the same along the members 26-, pc-

sitioning said tray on the upper surface of the table or platform 3. In positioning the tray on the table or platform 3 the forward end of said tray engages the arm 25 of the bell-crank 24, which through the interconnected mechanism causes the disengagement of the beveled edge 19 of the bell-crank 19 from its coiiperating do 15 permitting of the operation of the sha 6 to cause a complete reciprocation of the table or-platform 3, which elevates the tray thereon to the lowermost dotted line position, Fig. 1, of the drawings, the tray in its movement upwardly between the members 1 elevating the dogs 42 which on the lowering of the table or platform 3 are forced downwardly a slight distance by the weight of the tray, said dogs moving the tray longitudinally to project the opposite end thereof into engagement with the stops 44, thus the lowermost tray is supported at all four corners after being elevated and retains the trays above the same in elevated position within the stackin frame formed by the members 1. Immedlately on the upward movement of the table or platform 3 to elevate the tray positioned thereon, it will be apparent that the contact of the tray with the bell-crank 24 was broken permitting the spring 46 associated with the mechanism connected with the bell-crank to move the beveled surface 19' of the bell-crank 19 to a point within the path of its coiiperating clutch dog 15 whereby the clutch dog will be disconnected from the gear 9 after said shaft has made one complete revolution and has arrived at a point as in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This movement of the table or platform 3 also releases the weight on the rod 38 permitting the spring 41 associated therewith to move the plate 36 into the path of operation of its clutch-dog 15 causing the chains 29 to re main at a point of rest until such time as the table or platform 3 again arrives at its lowermost position.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. A receptacle stacking and elevating apparatus comprising vertically movable stacking and elevating means, a frame within which the receptacles are elevated in superimposed relation, means for retaining the stacked receptacles in elevated position, a conveyer for feeding receptacles to said stacking and elevating means, means controlled by saidstacking and elevating means for causing an intermittent operation of said conveyer to deliver a rece tacle to said means, and means operated tacle as delivered to said stacking and elevating means for causing the operation thereof.

2. A receptacle stacking and elevating apparatus comprising an open ended frame into which the receptacles are successively delivered and elevated in a vertical stack one resting on the other, a receptacle elevator, means controlled thereby for successively deliver-. ing receptacles to be elevated thereto, and receptacle controlled means for throwing said elevator into operation.

3. A receptacle stacking and elevating apparatus comprising a vertically disposed open-ended. frame into which the receptacles are successively delivered and elevated in a vertical stack one resting on another, means for successively delivering receptacles to said frame, means for elevating the receptacles within said frame as successively delivered thereto, means operated by said elevating means for throwing said delivering means into operation, means operated by the receptacle delivered to said' elevating means for throwing said means into operation, and means associated with the frame for mainy said recep-,

taining the receptacles therein in elevated position.

4. A receptacle stacking and elevating apparatus comprising a vertically reciprocating, stacking and elevating means, a frame above the same and within which the receptacles are elevated in superimposed relation, means for retaining the stacked receptacles in elevated position above said stacking and elevating means, a conveyer for feeding receptacles to said stacking. and elevating means, means thrown into action by said stacking and elevating means when in line with said conveyer for causing the operation of said conveyer to deliver a receptacle to said stacking and elevating means, and means operated by the receptacle as delivered to said stacking and elevating means to cause the operation thereof.

5. A receptacle stacking and elevating apparatus comprising a vertically disposed open-ended frame within which the receptacles are elevated in stacked formation, a vertically reciprocating platform at the lower end of said frame onto which said receptacles are successively delivered, means for operating said platform, a clutch-mechanism between said operating means and the platform, a clutch trip mechanism normally .positioned to maintain said clutch mechanism disengaged, said trip mechanism adapted for operation by a receptacle positioned on said platform to permit the engagement of the clutch to cause the reciprocation of said platform, a conveyer arranged at one side of said platform for delivering the receptacles to the platform when in its lowered vposition, means for operating said conveyer, a clutch mechanism between said operating means and the conveyer, and a clutch trip mechanism normally positioned to maintain saidclutch mechanism disengaged and adapted for operation by said platform when in line with said conveyer to permit the engagement .of said clutch to cause the operation of the conveyer to deliver a receptacle onto said platform.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE D. PARKER. 

